Bead Street Store Events

A lot happening this month and last.  Our new location will hopefully be open by December 1st.   Still lots and lots to do.  For those interested in knowing why we have moved - see the last paragraph of this post.

So far we have also traveled from Boise to Portland to Seattle to Reykjavik to Charles de Gaulle airport  in Paris.  We were there during fashion week and a lot to see.   And we bought a lot of beads and buttons and trims.  

I have also learned three new beading patterns  that will become new classes this fall.



On the plane ride from Seattle to Reykjavik,
Barb and I each beaded a Super Duo bangle
and I beaded the Russian Spiral to match



 

This is a new pattern using the two-holed Super Duos or Twin beads along with size 11 seedbeads.  We have had a test class on this pattern and instructions are currently being edited.

Closeup of the Russian Spiral.
Pattern in October 2011 Bead and Button



My friend Barb beading at 35,000 feet.

More information about the fashion shows, bead stores (I should say the bead wholesale district), and some of the sights we saw in Paris coming in the next few days.

One of the things I found interesting in Paris was, of course, the jewelry.  One show had a lot of chains hanging everywhere.  Another show - showing a lot of 'cuff' necklaces - large, Swarovski embellished pieces.  Another show - beaded bracelets - one for each arm and both identical.  We couldn't get into the shows but did see a lot of fabulous street fashion and were inspired by the vibrant colors of the clothes and jewelry we saw.

For those interested in the Paris fashion shows, this video is sort of a recap.  Paris 2013 Ready To Wear Highlights


For anyone interested in why we are moving:  Our European buying trip had been scheduled since early spring.  Two months ago we got word that because of safety issues with the sprinkler system and  insulation falling down, some major repairs needed to be done which would require us to be closed for awhile.  We asked if these repairs could be done while we were gone.  Two weeks before leaving, we were told that most all of our inventory  and store fixtures would have to be removed to do the repairs. 

So, we chose to not move back in and instead open at a new location. Because this all happened very fast, our new location is not yet ready and we have moved part of the inventory to our warehouse and part to a temporary location. Right now I'm told that painting is being done, the Gemstone slat wall has been installed, painted, and most of the gemstones and pearls have been hung up. In a couple of weeks, all seedbeads and Czech glass will be available to purchase. I really appreciate your patience and all the offers to help with the move. 

Russian Spiral

Called  the Russian Wraparound, this pattern designed by Carolyn Cave, is from  the October 2011 issue of Bead and Button magazine. This is a Russian Spiral stitch using Japanese bugle beads and Japanese seed beads.




I don't get to bead very often
 but thought I would give this pattern a try



This was done by a Bead Street Customer. 
 Really nice colors.



Beaded by Virginia, she swapped some of the beads
 to create a slightly different look.



Another beautiful  version created by Virginia




My friend Barb, from Portland. 
 She started one of these the last time she was in Boise.





This was what Barb was working on
 using her favorite beautiful bold colors. 
She will be visiting again this week to attend
Boise's annual Art in the Park. 
 Wonder if she finished this bracelet?



Another one by Virginia. 
She must really like this pattern
because here she made it long enough
 to go around her neck twice. 


Thanks everyone for bringing your projects into Bead Street and allowing me to photograph and post them.  Your work is so inspiring!





Inspiration from Bead Street Classes

In the last couple of weeks I have received at least a dozen emails from people in  Italy, Hungary, Germany, London, the Netherlands and Turkey telling me what fabulous beading we are doing in lil' ol Boise, Idaho.  Who knew?  I do know that the Super Duos (aka Twins) and Peanut beads (aka Farfalle or Butterfly beads) have been in Europe for a while.  I also know that the CzechMates (aka Tiles) and Tila beads have not.  So I'm sure that's part of the interest in this blog.

A big, big, thank you to my  Czech glass bead vendor - I get the new beads first and then our instructors create new patterns for our classes.  But then our students take those patterns and tweak them, bling them up and make them their own.  All of that even before the new beads are even introduced at the major bead shows. 

Some of you may not think this is a big deal but  I came to Boise in 1972 before there were any bead stores in Boise, the only art show was 'Art in the park', and long before Boise Town Square Mall.   Since I was a beader - resources and inspiration were lacking in this otherwise wonderful town.  To remember those days and now get emails suggesting we are on the leading edge of jewelry trends - even creating  'the'  trend..... amazing!

So keep up the great work.   I've been telling everyone that their creations are 'fabulous'.  Hopefully they now believe me.  Here is a sampling of students' work.  As a side note, we currently have 30 colors of the Twin beads, and 50 or 60 colors of the Super Duos should be here this next week. We also stock almost 100 colors of the CzechMate Tiles and 60+ colors of the Japanese Miyuki Tilas.

Irene beaded this  ladder stitch bracelet using bugle beads
 in a random pattern.  She also made the flower from polymer clay. 
 I think this was the very first project she did with clay.
You can find a how-to for the 'Chan Luu' style bracelet under Videos.

This is going to be a new class - coming soon. 
 From Penny Dixon - see more of her work on her blog,
http://www.pennydixondesigns.com/



This is from Janet.  She learned this technique in a Russian Spiral bracelet class
and then made this great necklace. I think she found this wonderful ceramic pendant
in Seattle when she was visiting her new grandchild. 
Oops, maybe giving away too much info.
Love how she beaded her own 'bail'. 




Nancy Sathre-Vogel, created this freeform peyote piece a while ago. 
But I just recently learned that the 'fish' are actually
 chopstick holders she found in Thailand.
Nancy and her family are hiking the Rocky Mountains
this summer but we will schedule her freeform
peyote class again in the fall.



Janet learned how to bezel a couple different ways
 in two or three different classes. 
Now she is 'bezeling' a lot of things - here a Tagua nut.



Love how she finished this necklace with her own 'beaded toggle'.



This is just a small portion of  Deb's beautiful, freeform necklace. 
 She learned the technique in Nancy's Freeform Peyote class. 
 Deb also combined 'ruffleing' and netting (she learned in other classes)
and added other stitches she already knew, to make this stunning piece.



A closeup of another section.  We'll have more on this later. 
 I think this necklace deserves a post of its own.

A beautiful peyote and netting ruffled pearl necklace.
 This was done by Boise Bead Society President, Mary Ireland,
in a class she attended at Bead Street.

Joy beaded all of these.  Top one she learned in Bead Street's Tila Band class
from a pattern designed by Adele Kimpell. 
Middle is a pattern Joy purchased from Kassie Inman. 
Bottom from a Tila/Tile Spiral class taught by Sandy Taylor from another Adele pattern.

Right Angle Weave (RAW) with Peanut beads beaded by Virginia. 
This is the 'Gator' pattern designed by Adele Kimpell.
 Virginia created her own version by changing the pattern 
and then adding 6mm pearls down the center.
I like this version alot.

A beautiful embellished peyote bracelet beaded by a gal from Twin Falls.
You can learn basic peyote from one of our Beaded Bead classes.

This bracelet much prettier in person. 
Beaded by Yvona from Nicole's "Ice Ruffle" pattern. 
 We have convinced Yvona to teach this -
 hopefully, sometime this summer.

This is another version of Sandy Taylor's Tila / Tile Herringbone class
 taught using an original pattern from Marcia Balonis. 
The Tiles (aka CzechMates) have been replaced with
Czech glass pearls and seed beads



We teach a number of Beaded Bead classes at Bead Street.
Masoumeh created these bracelets using beads she made in class.



 For more information and other photos, see the link at the top of this blog for a class schedule.  You can also click here for a link to Kassie's site beadingbutterfly.com.  Or here for Adele Kimpell, http://www.beadreamers.net/  and here for Marcia Balonis, http://www.baublesbybalonis.net/ .  We are currently scheduling classes for June and July.   If you would like more info or to request a class, just send us an email.

Russian Spiral

This is Virginia's work.  It's called Russian Wraparound and the pattern is on

page 58 of Bead and Button Magazine, Issue 105 which is the October 2011 issue.

Virginia made it her own by changing some of the beads.

She changed the middle size 11 seedbeads

 and used some pearlized drops in the center. 

 Great work Virginia!

Both of these necklace were beaded by Virginia

 Virginia taking one class while wearing her project from another class.  Close up below - fabulous necklace.